


Under the Skin, Against the Skull

by Anonymous



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gang World, Child Abuse, Gang Violence, M/M, More characters to be added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:48:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26717755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: They're ten when they meet for the first time. Seuncheol has just returned from his self-defense classes, exhausted and excited at the same time. Jeonghan glares at him with big, dark eyes, hatred as clear as day. A black bruise mars his face, and his wrists are bound tightly.“His parents couldn't pay.” His father tells him, not even remotely concerned with the beaten child next to him. “You wanted a friend. So he's yours now.”
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups & Hong Jisoo | Joshua, Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan, Hong Jisoo | Joshua & Yoon Jeonghan, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48
Collections: Anonymous





	Under the Skin, Against the Skull

They're ten when they meet for the first time. Seuncheol has just returned from his self-defense classes, exhausted and excited at the same time. Jeonghan glares at him with big, dark eyes, hatred as clear as day. A black bruise mars his face, and his wrists are bound tightly.

“His parents couldn't pay.” His father tells him, not even remotely concerned with the beaten child next to him. “You wanted a friend. So he's yours now.”

That's not what he meant when he asked his father if he could get a friend. All he wanted was to be allowed to hang out with other children from his school, maybe without supervision. But he forgot how much his father cares for him, forgot how tightly he maintains control ever since Seungcheol's big brother went missing.

“But...” Seungcheol says. “That's not what I wanted.”

The look on his father's face is stern, somewhat resigned, as if he anticipated Seungcheol's reaction.

“If you don't want him, I'll send him to Dasom.” His father says, and Seungcheol knows that it means nothing good. He's seen his father and his men bring girls and boys of all ages to Dasom's place. He knows that there are clients that buy time with them. He's not sure what that means, but he remembers the few times that he's seen a boy or girl who had been sent to Dasom again. They always had this weird look in their eyes, bruises and sometimes weird dots on their arms. His father told him not to worry about it, that he wouldn't have to deal with them until he was old enough to understand.

The boy next to his father shivers, but his face remains angry. There's something about him. Something that makes Seungcheol want to keep him safe.

“No. I'll keep him.” He quickly replies. The boy, Jeonghan, his father calls him, looks torn between gratitude and anger. “Thank you.”

“Very well.” The satisfied look on his father's face is one that Seungcheol is too familiar with. One that he's seen so often when he's done something that his father is happy with. “His training will start next week.”

“Training?”

“If you keep him, he should be useful.” His father says, never explaining what kind of training it is. “Now, I’ve got to leave. Take good care of him.”

Eagerly nodding his head, Seungcheol rushes over to his father to hug him.

“I will! Thank you!” If looks could kill, Seungcheol would have dropped dead.

“Oh, and happy birthday.” His father says with a big smile before leaving.

Leaving Seungcheol alone with the boy glaring at him.

They're twelve when Seungcheol watches Jeonghan put his training to good use and knock their teacher flat on his back for grabbing Seungcheol's arm roughly.

Their teacher ends up scurrying away, running to the principal to rat them out. Seungcheol couldn't care less, instead he focuses on Jeonghan's heaving shoulders.

“Are you okay?” he asks quietly. Startled, Jeonghan's head snaps towards him, as if he forgot that Seungcheol was there.

“I'm fine.” Jeonghan says, blinking rapidly, eyes staring at the door behind him. “What about you?”

“I'm okay.” Seungcheol tells him, turning around to look at whatever Jeongan is staring at, and meeting his father's eyes. Oh right, he did say that he was going to pick them up, Seungcheol distantly remembers. The look in his father's eyes is weird, focused completely on Jeonghan, but there's something about it that makes Seungcheol shudder.

“Hello boys.” His father greets them when he enters the room, and Jeonghan hastily bows in greeting. Seungcheol remembers the time that Jeonghan hadn't been quick enough to bow down properly, and how harshly he'd been punished. That was the time when they had become friends. Seungcheol had carefully taken care of him, and Jeonghan had finally allowed himself to crack, spilling his secrets without holding back.

Jeonghan's father had begged Seungcheol's father for money, addicted to gambling and the girls at Dasom's place. It had been easy for Seungcheol's own father to lure him deeper and deeper into debt. Granting him loan after loan until he came to collect, and Jeonghan's father had nothing to offer. Of course Seungcheol's father had shown himself to be generous, offered Jeonghan's father to pay back his debt by handing over one of his children. Panicked, Jeonghan's parents had declined, and Seungcheol's father had left them with a week to reconsider. Within that one week, a terrible series of accidents seemed to follow Jeonghan's parents around, and when Seungcheol's father had returned to collect his debt, Jeonghan's father had been quick to offer up his children. Out of kindness, Seungcheol's father claimed, he'd only take one, and after carefully inspecting both children, took Jeonghan with him.

He'd been so glad that he hadn't taken his little sister, Jeonghan had confided in Seungcheol on the day that Seungcheol had applied ointment to the red welts on his back. And Seungcheol had been glad too. Jeonghan was his, and he didn't want to trade him for anyone else.

“Hello sir.” Jeonghan greets him, eyes lowered.

“Good job there.” His father praises Jeonghan. However, instead of seeming happy to be praised, Jeonghan's posture stiffens, as if expecting a blow. “Come by my office later for your reward.”

“Yes, sir.” Jeonghan's voice is flat, a little bit apprehensive even. The same way it is when one of their trainers drills their techniques into their heads again and again until neither Seungcheol nor Jeonghan can stand. It's not defiant, not that Jeonghan would ever dare to be defiant towards his father. He'd been quick to learn his place.

“Seungcheol,” His father turns to him, and Seungcheol finds his own posture straightening. “You'll be meeting with Junhyung tonight. He's going to teach you about the branches. It's time that you learn how we work.”

Seungcheol finds himself nodding, but wanting to ask why he couldn't take Jeonghan with him. In that moment the door slams open, their teacher and principal standing in the door. The teacher's victorious look fades when he sees Seungcheol's father standing there.

“Mr Choi, Sir. We didn't expect...” the teacher stammers, wringing his hands.

Seungcheol knows that it's not going to be pretty, so he grabs Jeonghan's hand and pulls him out of the room.

Later when Seungcheol leaves to meet Junhyung, Jeonghan bids him farewell with a sad look in his eyes. Though Seungcheol can't figure out why he looks so sad. His father promised Jeonghan a reward after all.

They're fourteen when they meet Joshua for the first time. The boy with the cat eyes takes an instant liking to Jeonghan, and Jeonghan seems to like him too. They're fourteen when Seungcheol learns what jealousy is. Jeonghan has always been his and his alone. His only friend. He doesn't like the way Joshua looks at Jeonghan, how Jeonghan will smile at him, and tease Seungcheol.

For the first time since they met Jeonghan is being drawn away from Seungcheol and he hates it, hates Joshua with a fierce passion.  
His father seems amused by the situation, telling him that Jeonghan is his and not to worry. Joshua will have to obey Seungcheol like everyone else. His parents might be part of the family, but they still listen to Seungcheol's father, so Joshua will have to listen to Seungcheol.

“He's yours.” His father tells him, watching Joshua and Jeonghan spar in the garden. Both are quick and graceful, Jeonghan is faster, but Joshua has better stamina.

“I know.” Seungcheol says. Anger is coursing through his veins. At fourteen he stands taller than Joshua, is broader than Joshua, and has better upbringing than Joshua. He's been with Jeonghan for four years now. So why is Jeonghan sticking to Joshua like glue? Why is he letting Joshua hug him when he always pushes everyone else away? Why does he keep whispering with Joshua? Why do they keep looking at Seungcheol?

Whatever Joshua is teaching Jeonghan, Seungcheol hates him for it. Hates his stupid grin, and how easily he stole Jeonghan from him.

“You could just take him.” His father says, and Seungcheol has no idea what he means. Jeonghan is his, but he's not a thing. Jeonghan is his friend. Jeonghan teases him. Jeonghan protects him. Jeonghan looks at him like he's a person, not just heir to an empire.

When he doesn't reply, his father chuckles and leaves with a pat on Seungcheol's back, muttering about Seungcheol growing up so fast.

By the time they're done sparring, Joshua and Jeonghan are drenched in sweat, but smiling from ear to ear.

“Here.” Seungcheol says, handing both of them water. “You got training in two hours.”

With that he turns around and leaves, ignoring Jeonghan's stunned look.

They're sixteen when he learns to hate his father. Joshua has become a fixture in their lives, traveling back and forth between the U.S.-branch and the Korean one. Seungcheol doesn't hate him anymore, just strongly dislikes him. Dislikes how Jeonghan will tell him things that he doesn't tell Seungcheol.  
One of these days, when Jeonghan has done remarkably well, his father calls him for a reward. Seungcheol doesn't make anything of it, already used to Jeonghan not being too happy to receive rewards, whatever they entail, but notices the deathglare Joshua shoots his father when his back is turned. That day he decides that it's time for him to learn what those rewards mean.

It's dark when he sneaks out the room, just after the guards finished their sweep, and makes his way to his father's office. But when he peaks inside, there's no one there. With bare feet he pads towards his father's study, stopping when he hears a pained sound coming from one of the rooms nearby. He's holding his breath, waiting. Then he hears it again. It sounds like Jeonghan.  
His heart is beating in his throat, every fiber screaming at him to find Jeonghan and get him away from whatever is hurting him. But something is holding him back, instead of rushing in, he tiptoes over to the room where the noise is coming from. The door isn't shut properly, and Seungcheol carefully peeks inside.

Inside he finds his father, hovering over Jeonghan, one hand on Jeonghan's hip and the other pushing Jeonghan's face into the pillow, hips rhythmically moving as he thrusts into Jeonghan. Nausea spreads through Seungcheol as he listens to Jeonghan struggle and cry, only for his father to laugh and deliver a slap to his back. His mother, he notices, is sitting on a chair next to the bed. Her eyes are dark, excited even, as she watches the squirming boy underneath her husband.  
Bile rises up his throat and he takes a step back.  
It doesn't make any sense. Shivers wrack his body. But Jeonghan is his. He promised Jeonghan he'd take care of him.

Large hands suddenly close over his mouth, dragging him away from the room.

“Be quiet!” A voice warns him, as they move towards his father's office. “If they hear you, they will only make it worse!”

That has Seungcheol cease his struggles in an instant. Inside his father's study he comes face to face with Joshua. The other boy is not wearing his usual fake smile, glaring at Seungcheol like what he's seen is his fault.

“How...?” How long have you known? Why are they doing this? What is going on? So many questions burn on Seungcheol's tongue, but he doesn't know how to ask.

“What? Do you really think he'd tell you?” Joshua asks, venom dripping from his voice. “He adores you. Do you really think he'd tell you? Really? You'd rush right to your father, and then what? He'd only make it worse!”

“How do you know?” Seungcheol's voice is weak in his own ears. Nothing like the leader his father is training him to be. “How do you know it'll be worse?”

There's a beat. Joshua is obviously struggling with himself.

“Cause it happened when I did it.” Joshua admits, staring at his feet. “When he told me, I... I told my parents and they told your father.”

Dread fills Seungcheol's stomach. Of course they would have told his father. Not to accuse him, just to let him know to be more discreet.

“Your father thought that I was out of line. So he...” Tears are gathering in Joshua's eyes, and for some reason Seungcheol finds himself reaching out to the other boy. For the first time in years, he can't bring himself to not care about Joshua. “The next time he took Jeonghan... he... he made me watch. And he hurt him. He hurt him so bad. When he was done... when he was done he said I could either take my turn or clean Jeonghan up.”

His father is a lot of things. And he's not a good man. Neither is Seungcheol, having gotten into his fair share of trouble in the last two years, and neither is Jeonghan, quick on his feet and eager to fight. But Seungcheol would never, could never do what his father had been doing, is doing to Jeonghan.

“I see.” Seungcheol whispers.

“I see?” The fire in Joshua's voice makes his head snap up. “Is that all you have to say?”

“Why didn't you tell me?” He shoots back, watching Joshua shake his head with an odd smile on his face.

“God, how can you be so naive?” Joshua asks. “Your father threatened my parents. He threatened Jeonghan. I couldn't...”

Couldn't risk losing them. Couldn't risk making things worse for Jeonghan.

A loud scream interrupts their conversation.  
Joshua reaches him just before Seungcheol makes it out of the room, pulling him back inside. They tussle on the floor. Years of pent up anger finally spilling over. It's fast and ugly.

When it's over they're laying side by side, staring at the painting of his grandfather, sitting on the wall and looking at them in disapproval.

“I'm going to kill him.” Seungcheol promises. Next to him, Joshua nods.

They're eighteen when Seungcheol's father dies. No one knows how it happens. One day everything is fine, his father is going about his business as usual. Casually mentioning to Seungcheol that he should consider sending Jeonghan to be trained by Dasom, so he could lure in clients and dispose of them. The next day his bodyguards find Seungcheol's father dead in his office. A glass of brandy sits innocently on his desk. Poisoned, no doubt. The only person to have access to his father's brandy is his mother. So all it takes is for Joshua to spread a rumour or two, and his father's men start suspecting her, start pushing Seungcheol to dispose of her.

“Are we all in agreement?” He asks his council, all loyal followers of his father. Old, and set in their ways, but loyal to a fault. Joshua and Jeonghan are standing side by side behind him, still and silent, watching for any threat.

“Yes.” His council nods as one, and he signals Joshua.

“Joshua will take care of her.” He tells his council, standing up to his full height. “She will be punished.”

His council is eager for blood, and Seungcheol is more than happy to give it to them.

When Joshua drags his mother along outside the council room, they can hear her screaming and yelling for her son, demanding to see him, insisting that she's innocent, but none of the council members care. All of them seem happy to get rid of her.

They're twenty when all of his council members have been replaced by people Seungcheol can trust. People that had been scouted by Joshua and Jeonghan years ago, that they had slowly befriended. People that Seungcheol himself had picked. A lot of them from within branches of the family, some from the streets, and some had walked up to him and asked to join.

His empire reaches over half of Seoul, spreading through Busan, to Japan and the U.S. Nothing can stop him.

They're twenty-two when Jeonghan disappears.

**Author's Note:**

> I have been stuck forever trying to decide whether this will be ABO or not. Still no clue though ^^;
> 
> This work is not going to be my main focus, so I'll update sporadically. Sorry!


End file.
